Galli-Curci Theatre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Galli-Curci Theatre
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| Location | Margaretville, NY |
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| Nearest city | Oneonta |
| Built | 1922 |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000254 |
| Added to NRHP | March 15, 2006 |
The Galli-Curci Theatre is a cool old building in Margaretville, New York. It's on Main Street, which is also NY 30. This brick building was built way back in the 1920s. Today, it's mostly a store, but you can still see parts of the original theater inside.
The theater got its name from a famous opera singer named Amelita Galli-Curci. She used to spend her summers at her amazing country home near Margaretville. This was from 1922 to 1937. She even sang at the theater's grand opening!
A local business owner, Clarke Sanford, built the theater. It first held a car dealership, a silent movie theater, and offices for the local newspaper. Movies were shown there until 1985. Later, it became an antique store. But it still looks a lot like it did when it was a movie theater. In 2006, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special building with a lot of history. Today, it's a jewelry store and office space.
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What the Galli-Curci Theatre Looks Like
The Galli-Curci Theatre is on the west side of Main Street. It's near the center of Margaretville, where many old buildings stand. The building has two main parts. It is about 50 feet wide and 142 feet deep.
The front part of the building is two stories tall. It's made of brick and has a strong concrete base. This section holds the store and the old theater entrance. The front has big glass windows and a double door for the store. The theater entrance is covered by a cool, triangle-shaped sign. This sign has the words "Galli-Curci" on it.
Above the store, on the second floor, are windows with brick frames. The flat roof has a large sign that says "GALLI-CURCI THEATRE."
The back part of the building is where the main theater hall was. It's made of concrete blocks covered in stucco. The roof slopes gently, just like the floor inside. You can also see parts of wooden supports that were added later.
Inside the front part, the store still has its original floor and a fancy metal ceiling. The upstairs area, which used to be offices, also has its old floors and decorations. Two double doors, like the ones at the store entrance, lead into the theater area.
A narrow, carpeted path leads up to the main theater hall. This area now has a flat wooden floor. It was built for the antique store that used to be there. Some of the original walls that separated the lobby are still there. They even show colors from the 1940s! The ceiling is simple plaster, and the old lights have been replaced with new ones.
History of the Galli-Curci Theatre
The theater was very popular when it first opened. But things changed after World War II. It was hard for the theater to keep up, but it stayed open as a movie theater under different owners until the mid-1980s. In 1987, it was changed into a big antique shop. There were plans to make it a movie theater again in 2005, but it didn't happen. Since 2019, it has been a jewelry store and office space.
Early Days: 1922–1942
Clarke A. Sanford was a very important person in Margaretville. His family owned the local bank. He used to be a teacher and a reporter. In 1904, he came back to Margaretville and bought the local newspaper.
In 1907, he was the first person in town to own a car! Seven years later, in 1914, he opened the first car dealership in Margaretville. It sold popular car brands like Buick and Ford. The dealership was in a new building he had built for his newspaper.
On the upper floor, Sanford brought another new invention to Margaretville: movies! He started charging people to watch silent films that year. His wife even made the popcorn. The movies were very popular. This was because the local economy was doing well. Also, many visitors came to the area in the summer. So, the theater needed more space.
In 1922, he built the new theater. It even had a special piano that played music by itself. He put the car dealership on the first floor. The newspaper offices were upstairs, and the printing press was downstairs. He also rented out some office space to the local railroad.
Sanford asked the famous singer Amelita Galli-Curci if he could name the theater after her. She agreed, but only if she could sing at the opening night in 1922. She did, and she ended her performance with the song "Home! Sweet Home!"
Clarke Sanford held many local government jobs. He later became one of New York's first Commissioners of Motor Vehicles. In 1930, he added sound to the theater. This helped the theater and the car dealership stay in business during the Great Depression. The theater also hosted live shows. These included plays, local theater groups, and school events. His son joined the business. By the end of the 1930s, the family also ran another theater nearby.
Challenges and Changes: 1942–1964
In 1942, the railroad company closed down. The newspaper then took over its old offices. Four years later, in 1946, the Sanfords rented the theater to a company called Kallet. Kallet agreed to make improvements to the theater. Two years later, Kallet started a big renovation inside. They filled in the orchestra pit to add more seats. The wooden supports you can see in the roof were added around this time.
However, the theater faced new challenges. After World War II, New York City started building a new water supply system. This project created jobs for a while. But when the new reservoir was finished, five nearby towns were lost. This greatly affected the local area.
Also, Television became popular. This meant fewer people went to the movies. In 1955, Kallet changed the theater again. They made it ready for widescreen movies. These were bigger movies that studios made to compete with TV.
Three years later, in 1958, the Sanfords took back control of the theater. But the number of people going to movies kept dropping. In 1963, Clarke Sanford successfully asked for money. He said his business lost money because of the reservoir project. He passed away the next year.
Later Years: 1964–Present
His son, Roswell, took over the newspaper and the theater. He soon moved the newspaper to a different office. He also turned the second floor of the theater into an apartment. Then, he sold the theater to Donald Conine. Conine later sold it to Ben Resnick in 1975. Resnick kept showing movies until 1985. By then, home video players were very popular. This made it even harder for movie theaters to stay in business.
The theater hall was then used for live music shows. In 1987, new owners, the Goths, bought the building. They changed it completely. They put in the wooden floor and started selling antiques. They also removed the old movie projection and sound equipment. Later, the building became empty again. In 2005, two new owners bought it. They planned to turn it into a movie theater with several screens, but it didn't work out.
In 2018, a designer from Iceland named Jóhanna Methúsalemsdóttir bought the building. Since 2019, she and her partner, Paul Weil, have run a jewelry store called Kria Jewelry in the old theater.
See also
